You are renting from the owner, not a realtor. This is our shore house and it has been in my family since I was a little kid staying there with my Grandparents.

We do a lot of work each year to keep it very well maintained, which is somewhat unusual for beach rentals and even hotels at the shore.

The house has a "shore cottage" feel. It was a one-floor cottage until 2004 when we renovated it and added the 2nd floor. We intentionally kept the 1st floor true to the original cottage feel, except we updated it again in 2012 and 2015. And there are 2 rooms upstairs, facing the back yard. Therefore it is cozy, not massive.

I like to make sure people get what they expect when renting so here's a few thoughts:

This house is right for you if.... you value great location on a relatively quiet residential street, a short walk to the beach, close to town and boardwalk, easy street parking, big yard, screened porch + 2 decks out back, very well-maintained home with modest size rooms. Think of it with the analogy of "a very well maintained Honda Accord"...nice, good value, dependable, upper-middle level. There's enough beds and rooms for the stated amount of people allowed - in bedrooms - not on the floor or on cots like some places.

This house is not right for you if....
- If you value tons of floor space for sleeping people on the floor and a place for a big party weekend, this probably isn't the best place for you.
- If you want a classic worn, older rental that you don't have to take care of, this isn't for you.
- If you want a huge McMansion with a "Great Room and nothing but stainless steel Bosch appliances, granite tops, and daily maid service, this isn't for you. I recommend The Southern Mansion B&B or a $10k rental.

The usual people that rent this home in the summer are 1-2 families, 8 or 9 people; often it is a family and Grandparents/In-Laws. Note: There is a "lock-out" area (the front of 2nd floor of the house) which is simply locked off, not part of the rental, not accessible and this includes the front 2nd floor porch.)
When we enlarged the house, we wanted an area for storage and a room to leave our own things. You still have plenty of decks (1 front first floor plus 2 out the back, one on each floor so there is no shortage;) That room is not counted in the 5BR, 2 1/2 baths description.

Hope that helps! :)
I know it isn't easy comparing houses to rent...they're all so different and hard to tell how nice they are inside...I know because I check out other places to make sure our rates are fair.

This is a well maintained and renovated house with a "shore cottage" feel. The rooms are not large, but renovated or new and very well maintained. Unlike other listings, this house sleeps 8-10 in beds (when renting the 5 BR house) not on floor or sleeper sofas like most places. There are no sofa beds nor is there extra floor space for more people...but there are 5 bedrooms and beds for the amount of people allowed.

Activities and Attractions:

Cape May has it all - for all types. And all Fall, there are great events, like Victorian Week, The Food and Wine Festival, Fall Jazz Fest, etc. Of course, there are great beaches - Cape May has been ranked one of the top beaches in the US - one of the nicest being just up the street (it is about 300 yards. You will pass about 5 houses and one hotel on the way. ((the blocks are narrow because they run parallel to the beach, so you pass over 3 streets with only 2 houses or one hotel on each block))There is a nice boardwalk for running, walking, shops and some amusements and a theater across the street. The historic district is 4-6 block walk. Cape May is essentially an island escape. You can walk or bike the entire small island. We park the car, and don't use it again until we leave, because everything is so close to the house and such great sights to see as you walk or bike. Of course we are biased, but we think our house has the perfect location - it is unique in that it is so close to everything, but on a quiet street where you can park easily, and it is a quiet relaxing area of town.

Additional Information:

- How do payments work? You sign a lease and return it with roughly half of rental amount and a copy of your drivers license for photo ID.. Then about 45 days before check-in, you send remaining rent plus sec. deposit and cleaning service fee. Specific dates will be in the lease. Then about a week before your stay starts, I'll send you check-in and check-out sheets so you have complete information including the passcode for your stay. All payments are based on personal checks. Any additional fees from other methods are the responsibility of the renter.

- If you are a couple or small family, you can get a reduced rate for the 1st floor, sleeping 2-6 people from Sept through mid June only. 1st floor has 3BRs, FR, KI, 1 1/2 baths. But we can only do this Sept to mid June. Can be rented weekly, long weekend Fri to Mon, or midweek Mon-Fri.

- There is a section of the front second floor including an extra porch that is locked off and not part of the rental.

- Why do we provide a charcoal grill instead of gas? Safety. Not everyone knows how to use gas grills.

- You are renting from the owner, not a realtor or big business. This is our shore house and it has been in my family since I was a little kid staying there with my Grandparents. We take pride in the house and do a lot of work each year to keep it very well maintained, which is somewhat unusual for beach rentals and even hotels at the shore. We intentionally kept the 1st floor true to the original cottage feel, except we updated it. And there are 2 rooms upstairs, facing the back yard. Therefore it is cozy, not massive.

- Please read the other sections as most of your questions regarding pricing, house details, maximum amount of guests, minimum stays, etc will be answered on the web site. Contact the owner directly by email to book or ask questions: bartruffian@aol.com

- Sec Dep. refundable within 30 days as long as house is left in same condition found without damage, missing items, or excessive cleaning needed. I have only had to deduct anything from a security deposit 3 times in 18 years. Cleaning fee of $95 ($75 when renting as 1st floor only) covers cleaning crew of 2 people for 1 hour; if you leave it excessively dirty they will charge more. No pets allowed and maximum of 10 people for the 5BR house, maximum of 6 when renting it just as the 1st floor 3 BR house. Our rentals are listed as non-refundable. We cannot guarantee that we can re-rent your reservation - especially later in the year when most people have already made plans. However, if a medical situation requires you to change plans we will work with you to find a replacement renter (which may or may not be possible depending on timing) or possibly apply your payment to a fringe season stay(s).